The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has publicly endorsed Vice President Kashim Shettima's assertion that the President lacks constitutional authority to remove an elected Governor, amid the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State.
This endorsement comes after Vice President Shettima, while recounting how former President Goodluck Jonathan attempted to remove him as governor of Borno State, stated on Thursday that the President does not possess the power to unseat a democratically elected Governor.
The Vice President's remarks have gained significant attention as they coincide with President Bola Tinubu's controversial suspension of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Although the Presidency issued a statement on Friday claiming that the VP's comments had no connection to the Rivers State situation, the ADC dismissed this clarification as "a mere attempt at political correctness."
In a statement released by Interim National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC emphasized that Shettima's remarks were neither a mistake nor a slip of the tongue, but rather a truthful statement based on historical facts and constitutional principles.
"For avoidance of doubts, the breakdown of law and order that the presidency has deployed as pretext to overthrow democratic order in Rivers State is nothing compared with the rampaging scourge of Boko Haram that abducted more than 200 school girls in Chibok, Borno state, slaughtered school boys in Buni Yadi, Yobe State and challenged the very sovereignty of Nigeria," the statement read.
The party further highlighted how President Jonathan, despite facing dire security challenges during the Boko Haram insurgency, recognized and respected the constitutional limitations of his powers when declaring a state of emergency in affected states.
"This was the truth that the Vice President reminded us of at the Book Launch of former Attorney General, Mohammed Bello Adoke on Thursday. It was not faux pas, it was not Freudian slip, it was the truth anchored on the facts of history," the ADC maintained.
The opposition party has called on President Tinubu to immediately restore democratic governance in Rivers State and cease what they described as "illegal interference" in the state's affairs. Additionally, they demanded that the President tender "an unreserved apology to the Nigerian people for this abuse of power and the blatant disregard for constitutional order."
This development adds another layer to the complex political situation in Rivers State, raising important questions about the limits of presidential authority and the constitutional framework governing Nigeria's federal system.
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